Want to spot ‘Steve’ the aurora? Here’s how to do it

There’s a never-before-studied aurora gracing night skies around the world, and NASA wants you to try to spot it.

The newfound aurora, named Steve (short for Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement), looks like a purple light with some green features. 

Scientists think that Steve likely appears when charged plasma from the sun hits the Earth’s magnetic field in a certain way, according to a new study published in the journal Science Advances.  

Citizen scientists helped discover Steve, but more observations in the future could help researchers figure out exactly how and when it forms.  Read more…

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